Former Adidas director and wife seek £900,000 over oversized barn conversion
Former Adidas managing director Edward Nixon and his wife Sally are suing developer Barry Howard, claiming he misled them about planning compliance during the conversion of a Northamptonshire barn into their £1.3 million home. West Northamptonshire Council later ordered major alterations after finding the building exceeded the approved plans, leaving the couple seeking £900,000 in damages.
The couple say Howard told them in a July 2020 video call that the house was built and planners were satisfied, and answered “no” when asked whether he knew of any planning breach. The finished barn was about two metres longer than permitted and its ridge height was nearly one metre too high; Howard denies knowing it exceeded the limit. The dispute is being heard at Central London County Court, and the article text does not include the outcome.
In short
- The Nixons are suing their barn-conversion developer for £900,000.
- The home exceeded its approved length by about two metres.
- Howard denies knowing the building breached planning limits.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The couple’s case is that they relied on the developer’s direct assurances that the barn complied with planning permission, and that the substantial differences from the approved plans exposed them to costly alterations and reduced value. If Howard knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the build exceeded the limits, they can argue he should bear the resulting loss.
The case against
Howard can argue that he did not know the building exceeded the approved dimensions and did not deliberately mislead the couple; a later planning dispute does not by itself establish that he gave a knowingly false assurance. He may also contest whether his statements caused the full £900,000 claimed, including whether that figure fairly reflects the couple’s actual losses.
Explained simply
Planning permission sets out what can be built or changed, and councils can require work to be altered if it does not match approved plans. Converting a barn into a home can involve limits on its size and height.
Edward and Sally Nixon bought a converted barn in Northamptonshire from developer Barry Howard for £1.3 million. Their dispute concerns what Howard told them about whether the building complied with its planning permission, and whether he knew of any breach.
The case turns on the couple’s claim that they were misled and Howard’s denial that he knew the building exceeded the approved limits. It matters because the court must consider responsibility for the alleged misstatements and the financial loss claimed by the buyers.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Former Adidas boss sues developer after he is forced to demolish part of new £1.3m dream home in the country because it is two metres ‘too big’”.